Ways and Means Democrats today urged Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp to hold hearings on the American Jobs Act initiatives that fall within the committee's jurisdiction, as well as other proposals to encourage economic growth and job creation that are pending before the committee. President Obama unveiled a broad jobs proposal on Thursday evening before a Joint Session of Congress. All 15 Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee sent Chairman Camp the following letter today:

Dear Chairman Camp:

Last night, President Obama outlined the urgent need for action to create jobs and proposed a specific plan to do so.

During the last Congress, the President and the then-Democratic Majority took needed steps to stabilize the economy. According to Congressional Budget Office, the Recovery Act resulted in up to 4 million additional full-time jobs in the economy during the second quarter of 2011. Since the recovery began, the private sector has created more than 2 million private sector jobs. But we still have a long way to go before we make up the nearly nine million jobs destroyed by the financial crisis and recession, and we simply must do more to accelerate economic growth and job creation.

The President has laid out a plan that will address a key problem facing our economy: a lack of demand. The American Jobs Act will provide tax relief to working families and extend Unemployment Insurance programs to help those who have lost their job through no fault of their own, both of which boost demand by putting money into the hands of hardworking Americans. It also gives businesses incentives to invest and hire, and will help rebuild our nation's infrastructure.

House Democrats have proposed a number of additional ideas to boost job creation as part of our Make it in America Agenda, including proposals to finance infrastructure investment, encourage investment in advanced energy manufacturing and to end currency manipulation. Many of the ideas proposed by the President and House Democrats are within the jurisdiction of our committee.

In their September 6th letter to President Obama, Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor wrote, "Obviously achieving bipartisan agreement on these and other initiatives requires more than just one side declaring a proposal to be "bipartisan.' It requires that we work together."

In that spirit, we urge you to hold hearings on those aspects of the President's American Jobs Act that fall into the jurisdiction of the committee, as well as other proposals to encourage economic growth and job creation that are pending before the committee. Our committee needs to act and work together to create American jobs.